If you use whole grains, where do you buy them and how do you store them?

I am lucky to be able to buy grains, seeds and nuts in bulk (that is, from a bin with a scoop and a large bag) and pay by weight. I buy several lbs. at a time, fill a pint jar and keep in a cupboard. The rest I freeze in its bag.

The jars I use are wide-mouth with lids and bands. They seal tight enough to keep the moths and weird bug larvae out. Available at any hardware store. Ball jars. I buy a box of 12 jars. They come in other sizes.

have at present quinoa, steel-cut oatmeal, oat bran, amaranth, brown rice, barley, flax seed, sesame seed, chia seeds, lentils (red and brown), split peas (yellow and green), walnuts, almonds, cashews, black, white and navy beans and several mysterious things whose labels have fallen off. Those I will probably compost.

I no longer use flour or corn meal but they can be stored the same way.

Wow. That’s a pretty impressive selection. I’m going to start a little more gradually but I may eventually pick your brain by pm on further options.

How did you find the local place to buy these? Yellow Pages, Google?

I don’t know where you are located but I use Nuts.com for some things.

Being gluten dairy and salt free it is important to me have a pure source. Our grocery store has some of these products in bulk but they are put on tainted factory lines and people cross contaminating. We have a health store but what they carry is small quantities limited selection and they overcharge.

You could check out health stores or bulk stores also ethnic shops. Just call if you don’t want to stop by. As far as people in your area might be aware of such things there would be culinary groups, vegan groups, alternative eating, or co ops you could always check those places out.

Naturopaths or holistic places always seem to know or have tabs for foodie groups, receptionist would be helpful or ads in the doorway or window, in the area. Same with local health conscious cafes. Or ask some people in the healthiest part of the health store you frequent. I have found and given a girth of info there.

@gailcalled is correct. Freezing large quantities prevents bugs and keeps nutritional qualities. Also I shop with certain people. It usually cuts down on shipping costs and I can get smaller quantities yet get a bulk rate which is usually more cost effective.

Thanks. That’s a lot of good suggestions. If I were still living in Philly (where I was for 20 years) I’d have no trouble finding anything. Plus I belonged to one of the few surviving food co-ops from the sixties (Weavers Way) started by crunchy granola hippie types :)

But I’m a fairly recent transplant to the outer (an hours drive) burbs of Detroit so still getting my bearings.

And whole grains is a new direction for me but I think there’s some type of small group connected with the Slow Food Movement so that might be a start.

But there’s not much going on in Michigan in mid winter.

:D

Bob’s Red Mill (available online and in stores, particularly health food stores, is very good.

I store mine in the freezer.

@Buttonstc Go to your local Chamber of Commerce site and look under organic or natural food stores. Also, are you near a college? There’s usually a natural food store in a college town and college kids don’t have a lot of money, so the prices are more reasonable.

@Adirondackwannabe

I wish I were in or near a college town (Ann Arbor is quite a haul from where I am) and I’m realizing it more and more as time passes. That was one neat thing about Philly; tons of colleges all over the place. Where I am now is really off the beaten track :)